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Both Sides, Now: Lavin Speakers on Work-Life Balance

When we jump headlong into our careers, our home lives and passions can suffer. But when we focus all our energy on personal pursuits, we lag behind in the office. Where’s the happy medium? Can we really have it all? These Lavin speakers are particularly suited to speak on work-life balance—what it means, how to find it, and how it might just be the key to a harmonious, fulfilling life.

Psychotherapist Esther Perel is an expert on the science of human interaction. Her expertise in building long-lasting relationships is highly sought-after in the corporate world: she’s consulted for Nike, Johnson & Johnson, PopTech, and the Bronfman Foundation. In customized keynotes, Perel takes the specific challenges of your workplace—streamlining manager-employee relations, balancing happiness and productivity, adjusting after a merger—and shows how solving them often comes down to fostering trust and open communication.

Brian Scudamore—CEO and visionary entrepreneur behind O2E Brands—knows that building a great business is all about finding the right people, and treating them well. And part of treating staff with consideration means recognizing that people have lives outside of work. In publications like Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and The Globe and Mail—as well as in his engaging and frank keynotes—Scudamore offers advice on how to strike up that careful balance between career, hobbies, and leisure, offering suggestions on how to unplug, recharge, and get motivated—in and outside of the 9 to 5.

The savvy entrepreneur behind socially conscious brands like Yoobi, Yes To, and Cheeky, Ido Leffler argues that our current corporate climate is unsustainable. Employees are overworked and burning out. Illnesses and absenteeism are up. Productivity is down. We can’t continue to see family time, hobbies, and passions as detrimental to work—they’re actually complementary. In fact, when we take time to invest in our health and well-being, we grow both personally and professionally. With concrete solutions your company can implement today, Leffler strikes a practical balance between dedication and relaxation.

Drew Dudley is the former Director of one of Canada’s largest leadership development programs, and one of the most engaging and dynamic speakers you will ever see. In the corporate world, leading by example is key. But what happens when an organization full of dedicated, talented employees falls prey to siloing—the clumping of like-minded people afraid of collective ideals compromising their personal values? Step by step, Dudley shows organizations how to help employees embrace their own values as well as those of their colleagues. He shares four key values that, when implemented successfully, make harmonious collaboration in your company not just possible, but vital.

Debbie Travis is the architect of Canada’s largest celebrity brand. She’s a household name, media mogul, and working mom all wrapped up in one. And although she seemingly vaulted to the top, her road to success was actually one of ups and downs, challenges and triumphs—just like yours will be. In the struggle to balance our personal lives and professional aspirations, we often set unreasonable standards for ourselves. Travis’s advice? Relax. Ditch the guilt. Embrace the wins and losses, the laughter and the tears. Your career, your family—and your sanity—will stay intact.

Daniel Lerner’s class “The Science of Happiness” is the largest (and most popular) non-required course at NYU. And that’s no surprise: his charismatic and inspiring take on positive psychology can help both professionals and students alike learn how to improve their mental health and wellbeing. To Lerner, success and happiness is not an either/or proposition. With cutting-edge science, real-world examples, and the poise of a natural storyteller, Dan Lerner shows how doing what you love is every bit as important as doing a job well: in school, the workplace, and beyond.

Karl Subban has twin claims to fame: he spent decades as a beloved, inspiring principal in one of Toronto’s toughest neighbourhoods, and he’s the father of three NHL players—P.K., Malcolm, and Jordan. Now, he brings his winning insights from the rink and the classroom to the boardroom. To Subban, personal and professional development go hand-in-hand. How do we bring out the best in our employees? How can we cultivate great working relationships? With lessons from “Team Subban,” and his years as an educator, Karl Subban answers these questions and more—with humour, passion, and a few surprising anecdotes along the way.

When we’re surrounded by electronic devices, always on call, and forced to meet hard deadlines, it’s tough to find a moment of peace. But according to Alex Soojung-Kim Pang, there is a way out—and it’s called “contemplative computing.” In his book The Distraction Addiction, he offers science- and research-backed methods for busy professionals to stay calm, focused, and creative in the digital age. And in fascinating keynotes exploring distraction, communication, interpersonal relationships, and the value of proper rest and recuperation, Pang demonstrates how work-life balance isn’t an obstacle to productivity—but an essential part of it.